Can opener



A. ZIDOVEC March 10, 1925,

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 19, 1922 n. i z N L ma Nm /2 W H W G Patented Mar. 10, 1925. p

UNITED STATES AUGUST ZIDOVEC, OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA.

CAN OPENER.

Application led December 19, 1922. Serial No. 607,859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST ZiDovEo, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Rafael2 in the county of Marin and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cap openers and the primary object is to provide a can opener which will be simple as to construction, compact, strong, durable and capable of being easily operated to evenly cut the top of a can or like receptacle. Y

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel mounting for the knife, which mounting provides for attaching the knife to handles of the plier type whereby upon moving the handles together an easy and effective cutting action will be provided h by the knife.

' The invention further consists of the particular combination, inter-relation and association of elements thereof for the purpose of generally improving and simplifying the construction and operation of can opening devices of the type described.

The invention possesses other advantages` and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of the opener of my invention as when in position of use, it being shown as applied to a can with the handles spread apart.

Fig. 2 represents a bottom plan view of the opener, the handles being locked together.

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the opener.

Fig. V4 represents a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of link; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the link shown in Fig. 5. V j

Referring -to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 designate handles which are pivoted intermediate of their ends as at 3, and which cross one another where pivoted. The pivot 3 is provided by forming complementary annular grooves 4 in the material of the handles where the latter are crossed. A suitable pivot member 5 joins the handles where portions thereof contact with one another centrally of the grooves 4. A spring 6 is mounted in the space provided by the registering grooves 4 and its ends are anchored in off-set extensions 7 of the respective grooves. This spring tends to force the handles apart at all times and thereby asn sists in the operation of the opener. To limit the movement of the handles, there is provided a projection 8 on one handle engaging in an arcuate groove 9' in the other andle. When the projection engages one end of the groove, the handles are limited in their movement away from one another.

The handle 1 extends beyond the pivot 3 and is enlarged so as to form a substantially' flat plate-like portion 10. A line drawn lengthwise through the mediate portion of the plate portion would intersect the pivot 3 when the handles are in position to operate the opener. This will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 1. The other handle lis extended in the form of a fiat arm 11, the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the opener, through the pivot 3. The arm-like projection 11 extends considerably beyond the outer edge of the plate-like portion 10 and is adapted to overlie the upper edge of a can, which latter is shown at A, in Fig. 1. The memberv11 is off-set. as shown at 12, with respect to the position of the handle portion proper so as to provide for the proper disposition of the arm 11 with relation to the top of the can. On the under side of this member 11 there isL provided an L-shaped grip member 13 having at one end a sharp edge'13. The sharp edge 13 is adapted to bite against the can along the outer side of the latter substantially at the outer side of the bead to facilitate the cutting operation, as will be later described. The ,member 13 having the shape described better withstands the strains directed thereto and serves as a reinforcing element.

The yblade 2 carries a cutting knife 14 which has an upright cutting edge inclined to the vertical. The knife is rigidly fastened in one --end of anr arcuate'@linie-15,V the other end of the link bein'g pivoted 'as at 16 on the under side of the plate portion 10. The pivot member extends through the plateV portion at a point to one side of the central po-rtion of the latter to the left ofi the ,z

pivot 3. A finger piece 17 extends outwardly from the link'fl yat-lr a pointopposite from where the knife or blade is attached and also acts asfa'stop" to-lim'ittli'e swinging action ofthe link.v When the link is'.

V- shown inFfijgi- 1,'the knife-will bei disposed considerably to onei'side,'totheright lof' the pivot *B lwhereby whenjthefhandles 'are compressed them'overn'ent of 'theknife yis an arcuate and comparat-i'vely'long one, The leverage action 'on' the-knife is'madevvery effective, duetotheE construction of the ll ink 'and its relationtothe 'knife 'andfhandles- To vprovide for lholc'lingthe handles closed as shown i in Fig'. 2,? a 'portion of 'the Ihandle 1 `has afprojection'lS"which is adaptedy to extend into a recess or notch'19 formed kin thejouter end of the link 15. Bymoving vthe 'link inward or Voutward on' its' pivot, the projection will be 'caused to extend 'into and out 'ofthe vrecess 19.

In use of the opener, it is placed with the handles open, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the arn'i'portion 11 will extend over 'the top of the cany and thesharpA edge 13vn ofthe gripping member 13 will engage the outer side 'of the bead ofthe can. The link is adjusted on its pivot so that the blade will be brought into proper positionon-v the top ofthe canadjacent to the bead. Bypressing downwardly,` the knife will puncture thecanf and'perniitthe members' 11 andv`13 to assume proper relation to the can. Upon compressing' the handles, the member 113 will 4grip against the side of the canand as the handle* 2 lis moved' towards the handle 1, thel'inks swing-andmovethe knife in an arcuate path correspondingto the curve of thef can, 'caus-ing a smooth, evenV cut to be made. V`pon releasing the handlesV the spring will forcethern appartv and a fresh gripiis taken withv the member Y,12. The cutting Fis continuedin'v this manner until the V.top of the 'can' hasffbeen entirelyl out.

l' "Referring to'-Figsg-` and@ wherein Illiave shown aniodifled* form of link to* be used in place of the' longer arcuate link 15, the

modified link comprises two arcuate linkstOv and 451-I piyoted:t to onea'n'other as at 42.' `The link 40 at one-end", has anopening to proffide for -its; pivotal' connection' with" the The outerjend ter not shown; BY thisrdbuhleflink ar rangement a, greater movement" of the knife upon each action of the operating handles is providedand by-the-dpuble link, the knife will more readily follow the curve of the vcan-without Yproducing a ]agged edge or cut.

The link e-, has a member 4:4 thereof for limitingI the relatifv'e*movement of said links.

it will be noted that the piyot 16 for the link 15 and the"cutterlfofknifehli are disposed on opposite sides ofI the 'pivot 5 for the handles,'thatistosays they'are on opposite sidesfof a center `-line ydrawn longitudinally'of the handlesthroughltheupivot 5.l rlhis disposes thefknife closetothefgripper 13', appliesthe Yleverage in such Imai-ineras to prevent buckling-or bending-inY ofthe side of the can. In openers of fwhichl 'am aware, it has been' the practice to mount the can gripping member onione extension'v of the handles and the knife at the--outer lextremity of a correspondingextension of the other handle, said extensions forming a Y-shape figure. This disposes the knifeand gripper in widely separated'l positions `and when ,the leverage isv applied, rthe* -force against the gripper is such/as it Voften tends to press in or buckle thesideroftlle' can.

With the arrangement of fmyinvention this is prevented.

The edge of the gripper 13is prevented from breaking by the vcurved side ofthe member 13. y

Ivclaim: f Y

1. A can opener comprisinghandles .pivoted to one another, the handles havingportions which vextends beyond*v the pivotwhich portions are vadapted to extend over' .theyV top ofl acan to be cut', a; grippingJ member `on the under. side .of one of" said portions. varranged to engage theouter side of the can adjacent the upperend thereof, alvlink pivoted at one end tov the otherofsaid'portion andv extending across the. irstnamedfportionand a cutting knife carried-byjanddepending from said link.v

2. A canppener comprising handlespivoted to one. another, intermediate;` Oftheir ends and having :portions of., which.l extend beyond the pivot and are adapted to extend over the.top, of. a,can 1to. lbe;cut,. a` gripping member on the. underside.. of one of said portions arranged to engageathe@ outer, :side

ofthe can adjacent-the upper endl thereof,

a link pivotedlat onel endto the Otherof said portions and a cutting knife carried byfand depending from said link, said link,I 'pivot and the cutting knife'beingdisposed on opy posite sides of the handle pivot.

A can opener "comprising handles pivoted' to one another anrdjhavilng'portion's extending forwardly beyond the p1yot,`agripand the knife being disposed on opposite sides of the pivot for the handle.

4. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another and haringportions extending forwardly beyond said pivot, a can gripping member on one of said portions, a member piyoted on the other of said portions and a knife carried by said member, said knife and pivot for said member beiner disposed on opposite sides of the plane of a line drawn longitudinally of the handles and through the center of the pivot therefor.

5. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another and having portions extending beyond said pivot, a can gripping member onone of said portions, a member pivoted on the other of said port-ions and extending across the irst named portion and a knife carried by said member and disposed so as to substantially meet said grippingJ member at the plane of a line drawn centrally through the handle pivot and longitudinally of the handles at the finish ot a cutting stroke.

AUGUST ZIDOVEG 

